The transport of fluid, whether liquid or gas, from one location to another as in an industrial manufacturing facility, for example, generally requires the employment of conduits such as piping or other ducting extending from the site of fluid storage to the site of fluid use. The route of travel of such a conduit can be a generally straight pathway or it can include one or more elbow or other turns in order to accommodate building architecture or the like present at the facility. As is well recognized in the art, however, fluid flow through a conduit is eventually impeded irrespective of travel geometry. Fluid dynamics teaches us the need for smooth flow in order to maintain efficient fluid movement, but such a flow pattern is eventually lost, and turbulent flow ensues. Once a system flow becomes turbulent, smooth flow is rarely, if ever, restored. Spiral or vortical flow solves this problem to some extent, but such a flow pattern is eventually damped out by tangential friction within the conduit, and, once again, turbulence ensues. The body of mathematics commonly known as Chaos Theory, when applied to the non-linear nature of flow, virtually guarantees the eventual collapse of any system of flow into turbulence, absent some mechanism of control.
In view of the above inefficiencies in moving a fluid from one location to another through a conduit, it is apparent that a need is present for technology that maintains an organized flow to moving fluid. One method of doing so is to induce and maintain the spiral movement described above. Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a generally tubular fluid conduit in which sinusoidally shaped vanes therewithin define a fluid flow pattern substantially throughout the conduit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an insert positionable within a conventional conduit whereby the insert introduces the sinusoidal shaped vane configuration to the conduit to maintain efficient fluid flow.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a conduit wherein at least one portion of the inside wall thereof is configured to induce and maintain a spiral movement in moving fluid.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a conduit having curvatures such as elbows and the like wherein a portion of the inside wall immediately preceding such a curvature is configured to induce a spiral flow to fluid passing therethrough to thereby maintain a spirality of movement throughout the curvature and beyond.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent throughout the description thereof which now follows.